The Internet, or any other large computer network, is a valuable resource both because of its flexibility and the large number of interconnected computers. Hierarchies on the Internet are continually being torn down, revised, and replaced by new hierarchies or alternative hierarchical frameworks. In some ways these changing hierarchies have blurred the distinction between server computers and client computers. Traditionally, one computer was the primary source of data and another computer was the primary recipient of data. For example, web pages typically involve a one-way flow of information—from a web server to user computers “surfing” the web. However, one variation to that hierarchy is a one-to-one exchange of data between two parties such as occurs with instant messaging and voice over internet protocol (VOIP) telephony, in which end users share text or voice communication. Other types of interactions are also possible, such as interactions found in peer-to-peer networks that share files between many different users. Development of new types of hierarchical or non-hierarchical relationships will lead to the emergence of new uses for the Internet.
In some ways the Internet is both nimble and large. Nimble because it can accommodate various hierarchical relationships and large because of the large number of computers from which it is formed. The computers connected to the Internet represent valuable computing resources for the purpose of solving problems in a distributed manner. However, the decentralized nature of the Internet that provides the above-mentioned flexibility makes it difficult to direct this valuable resource in a coordinated manner. Some systems coordinate multiple computers to work together having the users of each of those multiple computers install a special purpose software application. However, participation in these systems is limited to only a small percentage of all the computers connected to the Internet. A novel relationship hierarchy may allow fuller use of the Internet as a resource for distributed computing.